Trends in neuroanatomical research / 解剖学报

The basic structure of the nervous system is neurons and the connections formed by nerve fibers. Identifying different types of neurons in different parts of the nervous system, revealing the efferent and afferent nerve fibers they constitute, and elucidating the neuroactive substances and receptors involved, provide the basis for the regulation of neuronal activity and the uncovering of how the nervous system works. It is also the goal of neuroanatomy research. The rapid development of modern science and technology and interdisciplinary penetration require us to conduct in-depth neuroanatomy studies on specific neural pathways composed of specific types of neurons using specific neuroactive substances for specific neural functions. This also provides a good opportunity for us to clarify the structure of nervous system and analyze its working principle from macroscopic, mesoscopic and microscopic levels.

Review on application of neural tracing technique to experimental research of acupuncture / 针刺研究

OBJECTIVE: To collect literatures on the application of neural tracing technique in experimental acupuncture research, and summarize its application status in acupoints, meridians and Zang-fu organs. METHODS: We collected papers published from databases of CNKI (1979-2017), Wan-Fang (1990-2017), VIP (1989-2017) and PubMed(1997-2017)by using keywords of "neural tracing technique" "neuroanatomic tracing" "neural tracers" and "acupuncture" "electroacupuncture" "auricular acupuncture" "eye acupuncture" "meridians" "acupuncture points" "acupoint injection", and made a summary about the current state of application of neural tracing technique in the fields of acupoint, meridian and Zang-fu organs (viscera). RESULTS: A total of 94 articles were collected, the most commonly used neural tracers were horseradish peroxidase and cholera toxin subunit B. The experimental animals used were rat, rabbit, cat, monkey, etc., and injection site was acupoint. After the injection of neural tracers, the survival time of animals was range from 1 day to 12 weeks, and the labelled tissues included neurons and nerve fibers of the sensory, motor, and autonomic systems. The outcomes of neural labeling mainly revealed the segmental pattern, neuroanatomical connection (neural pathways/circuits) and chemical features (shown by immunohistochemical staining) of neurons and nerve fibers innervating both the acupoints and visceral organs, suggesting their involvement in the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment. CONCLUSION: This application of neural tracing technology help us understand the under-lying mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion interventions from different perspectives of neural pathways/circuits and related chemical properties, which also lays a greater role for this technology in future experimental acupuncture research.

Rectal Probe Eectrostimulation for Spasticity after Spinal Cord Injury(review) / 中国康复理论与实践

@#ObjectiveThrough literature review, we summarized the mechanism on the treatment of spinal cord injury(SCI)using rectal probe electrostimulation(RPES)and its effects, which provided possible directions for further experimental research.Methods Using literature retrieval method, we respectively summarized the Results of the present study, problems and future research directions from the research background on the treatment of spasticity after SCI using RPES, the basis of rectal nerve anatomy, the mechanism on spasticity after SCI and the research on the treatment of spasticity after SCI using RPES. Results The mechanism on the treatment of spasticity after SCI using RPES need further study. Nerves and receptors used in receiving and transmitting RPES signals in rectum are not clear, the nerve pathway among rectum and muscle have not been found, and the superior nerve center whether to participate in modulation has not been final Conclusion . Conclusion There are some complex neural pathways between rectum, sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve stem, sensory area of cerebral cortex, the dorsal commissural nucleus (DCN) in spinal cord and muscles of limbs, in which sensory area of cerebral cortex and the DCN in spinal cord are two important integration areas in these pathways. It would be important for our research whether the existence of neural pathways and RPES treating spasticity after SCI through these pathways.

A Study on Central Neural Pathways of the Sciatic and Femoral Nerves of the Rat

The central neural pathways of the sciatic and femoral nerves of the rat were identified with tracing methods of fluorogold, cholera toxin-horseradish peroxidase and Bartha strain of pseudorabies virus as neurotracers. After injections of fluorogold and CT-HRP into the femoral and the sciatic nerves respectively, the spinal cords were removed and processed for fluroscent microscopy and histochemistry. Lower motor neurons were multipolar in shape and located in the ipsilateral L3-L5 and L5-S1 segments. The location of the femoral LMN's were ventromedial to those of the sciatic nerve. There was no double labeled neurons and the lower motor neurons of the femoral nerves were located in ventromedially to sciatic LMN in the spinal cord. After injections of fluorogold and PRV-Ba into the femoral and the sciatic nerves respectively, the fluorogold labeled neurons were identified only in the ventral horn of ipsilateral L3-L5 segments and PRV-Ba labeled cells in L5-S1 segments. Besides L5-S1 segments, some PRV-Ba labeled cells were found in the ipsilateral L3-L4 segments and a portion of them were double labeled with fluorogold and PRV-Ba. Sequential tracing of retrograde labeled cells was done after injection of PRV-Ba into the femoral and sciatic nerves. The upper motor neurons of both nerves were mostly ovoid or polygonal in shape and present in the same nuclei of supraspinal central nervous system. In conclusion, lower motor neurons of the femoral and the sciatic nerves were arranged in somatotopic organization and some of them were connected with synaptic route. But the central pathways of both nerves were similar in locations.

The infraspinal neural pathway of apomorphine-induced erection : an experimental study by the comparison with electrostimulation-induced erection on the rat model / 대한비뇨기과학회지

The erectile response is peripherally mediated by cavernous nerve that contains thoracolubar sympathetic nerve and sacral parasympathetic nerve. It is known that thoracolubar sympathetic nerve involves in detumescence and sacral parasympathetic nerve in tumescence, however there are some opinions that rhoracolubar sympathetic nerve participates in psychogenic erectile mechanism. We previously reported that by the comparison with electrostimulation-induced erection, apomor- phine-induced erection was a vascular event. The aim of our study was to determine the infraspinal neural pathway of APO-induced erection. The sham operated rats remained normal in all measured respects. All rats having undergone neurotomy ot the hypogastric nerves showed APO-induced erection except one. The only 5 rats having undergone neurotomy of the pelvic nerves showed APO-induced erection. Erections could be elicited upon cavernous or pelvic nerves stimulation in all rats having undergone neurolomy of the hypogastric nerves. Among 17 rats having undergone neurotomy of the pelvic nerve erection could be elicited upon cavernous nerves slimulation in 14 rats, however. the intracavernous pressure (47.9+/-16.5 mmHg) was lower than that found in sham-operated rats. Erectile response in these 14 rats appeared to result from stimulation of penile neurons coming from the major pelvic ganglion. In contrast to no response in sham-operated rats, stimulation of the hypogastric nerves also resulted in erections in 7 out of 17 rats. In conclusion, this present study suggests that APO-induced ereclion is primarily mediated via the sacral parasympathetic nerve system and may be mediated by the thoracolumbar sympathetic pathway following injury to the parasympathetic nerve system. Furthermore we can guess the possibility that the neural pathway of psychogenic erection is same that of AP0- induced erection.